Author: chicagoinquirer

by Ben Finley, Ope Adetayo and Sam Metz WASHINGTON  — President Donald Trump’s administration is promoting efforts to work with Nigeria’s government to counter violence against Christians, signaling a broader strategy since he ordered preparations for possible military action and warned that the United States could go in “guns-a-blazing” to wipe out Islamic militants. A State Department official said this past week that plans involve much more than just the potential use of military force, describing an expansive approach that includes diplomatic tools, such as potential sanctions, but also assistance programs and intelligence sharing with the Nigerian government. Defense Secretary…

ABUJA, Nigeria — A total of 303 schoolchildren and 12 teachers were abducted by gunmen during an attack on St. Mary’s School, a Catholic institution in north-central Nigeria’s Niger state, the Christian Association of Nigeria said Saturday, updating an earlier tally of 215 schoolchildren. The tally was changed “after a verification exercise and a final census was carried out,” according to a statement issued by the Most. Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, chairman of the Niger state chapter of CAN, who visited the school on Friday. He said 88 other students “were also captured after they tried to escape” during the…

by Jake Offenhartz President Donald Trump’s pledge to terminate temporary legal protections for Somalis living in Minnesota is triggering fear in the state’s deeply-rooted immigrant community, along with doubts about whether the White House has the legal authority to enact the directive as described. In a Truth Social post late Friday, Trump said he would “immediately” strip Somali residents in Minnesota of Temporary Protected Status, a legal safeguard against deportation for immigrants from certain countries. The announcement drew immediate pushback from some state leaders and immigration experts, who characterized Trump’s declaration as a legally dubious effort to sow fear and…

by Steve Reed CHARLOTTE, N.C. — James Harden made 10 3-pointers and scored a franchise-record 55 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Charlotte Hornets 131-116 on Saturday hours after 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul released a video on social media hinting at retirement after the season ends. Ivica Zubac added 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Clippers, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Rookie Kon Knueppel had 26 points to lead the Hornets, who have lost five straight. Brandon Miller returned from a 13-game absence because of a shoulder injury and finished with 21…

by Mark Sherman WASHINGTON  — The Supreme Court is to meet in private Friday with a high-profile issue on its agenda — President Donald Trump ’s birthright citizenship order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. The justices could say as soon as Monday whether they will hear Trump’s appeal of lower court rulings that have uniformly struck down the citizenship restrictions. They have not taken effect anywhere in the United States. If the court steps in now, the case would be argued in the spring, with a…

by Calvin Woodward WASHINGTON  — They gathered at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday — former presidents, vice presidents, sworn political foes and newfound friends — in a show of respect and remembrance for Dick Cheney, the consequential and polarizing vice president who became an acidic scold of President Donald Trump. Trump, who has been publicly silent about Cheney’s death Nov. 3, was not invited to the memorial service. Two ex-presidents came: Republican George W. Bush, who eulogized the man who served him as vice president, and Democrat Joe Biden, who once called Cheney “the most dangerous vice president we’ve…

by Paul Wiseman WASHINGTON  — U.S. employers added a surprisingly solid 119,000 jobs in September, the government said, issuing a key economic report that had been delayed for seven weeks by the federal government shutdown. The increase in payrolls was more than double the 50,000 economists had forecast. Yet there were some troubling details in the delayed report. Labor Department revisions showed that the economy lost 4,000 jobs in August instead of gaining 22,000 as originally reported. Altogether, revisions shaved 33,000 jobs off July and August payrolls. The economy had also shed jobs in June, the first time since the…

by Gene Chamberlain LAKE FOREST, Ill.  — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams grew up idolizing Aaron Rodgers. Now he might get the chance to compete against him when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit Soldier Field on Sunday. With his completion percentage dipping below 60% and his passer rating below 90, no one would confuse the way Williams is playing in his second year with Rodgers’ illustrious career — not even Bears coach Ben Johnson. “Probably not right now,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I think (Rodgers) is elite right now at getting the ball out of his hands. If he doesn’t have the…

PORTLAND, Ore.  — Nikola Vucevic hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer and Chicago Bulls held off a furious comeback attempt by the Portland Trail Blazers for a 122-121 victory on Wednesday night. Vucevic finished with 27 points and Coby White had 25 off the bench for the Bulls, who led by 21 points in the fourth quarter. Deni Avdija’s 3-pointer tied it for the Blazers at 116 and Donovan Clingan’s layup put the Blazers in front with 47 seconds left. Clingan added a free throw to cap a 31-7 run and give Portland a 119-116 lead. White’s 3-pointer with 9.1…

by Dyepkazah Shabiyan and Ope Adetayo ABUJA, NIGERIA  — A court in Nigeria on Thursday convicted separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu of all seven terrorism-related charges brought against him and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Kanu founded the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), which has been accused of terrorism and extra-judicial killings in the country’s southeastern region where it has called for the creation of an independent state. The charges against Kanu, who has rejected the court’s authority, included carrying out acts of terrorism, issuing and violently enforcing stay-at-home orders that bring the southeastern region to a halt every Monday, giving…